Birds
by Denyce
Summary: Max contemplates the reality that - They're coming


Reaching the top of the Space Needle, feeling more apprehensive than she'd ever admit; Max inhaled gripping the last rung of the ladder hard until her knuckles whitened. Exhaling, she finally let go and stood ready to take her turn and stand watch. She only hoped Alec was too hungry that he wouldn't want to stay and hang out, or worse try to get her to talk to him. Something she knew Logan had nudged him to do - to find out why she was avoiding Logan in the first place. Why she had assigned Alec and kept him up here for the last three days.

Max moved toward the edge on the west side of the Needle until she spotted Alec. Coming up behind him she uttered "Hey".

She had expected him to turn around and start griping about how long he'd been up here, ask a zillion questions, or if nothing else start complaining when he noticed she had no food. Alec only inclined his head with a slight nod the only indication that he even heard her.

Max couldn't deny she was surprised when she got no reaction, her gaze drilling a hole in Alec's back. It was easy to see the fatigue even as Alec just sat there. It was clear from the way he hung his head, the slump of his shoulders just the listless way Alec held himself was so vastly different from the man who stood at her side, and was her second in command from the moment they had gone public and declared their freedom to the news media on the roof at Terminal City. Right now though, Alec's tiredness was her fault, why he had been up here this long. Though if she was honest with herself Alec's response had nothing to do with standing watch or her avoidance with Logan. No, Alec was suffering from the same thing they all were – despair.

Sitting down beside him, she nudged his shoulder, "Go on and go. Joshua fixed some of your favorite dishes. Eat your fill then get some sleep."

It took Alec a moment before he nodded, and said, "Yeah all right." Still it took Alec a moment before he slowly got up.

At Alec's uncharacteristic somberness, Max couldn't stop from asking a stupid duh question, "You okay?"

Alec paused, a corner of his lip lifted to a familiar if not patented smirk. Though it was always a lie, she had expected his usual response 'I'm always alright.' Instead she got a shrug as Alec's lip dropped and he turned away disappearing under the cloak of darkness. Seconds later she heard him starting to descend.

Max shivered though it had nothing to do with the gust of wind and everything to do with Alec's anxiety and feeling of hopelessness. Alec like everyone else was exhausted from the increasing emotional strain. They've been on alert for months – watching, waiting. No one knew where or when they'd come, or even how to stop them once they did come. They all heard and saw the reports, and like everyone else stood transfixed watching the horror of the aftermath as they tried to piece things together.

The first attack was almost a year ago. When the first reports came in, it was reported that no one survived. First responders found evidence of video footage from cameras and smart phones; even the towns local news feed had started to document the phenomenon. It seemed unfathomable something straight out of Hitchcock's movie, The Birds. Like the movie, suddenly out of the blue tens of thousands of birds descended on the entire town of Whistler Bay. They came and then just perched - waiting.

Hours later, it was easy to see why people thought it was nothing more than a strange incident. News clips captured people wandering around gawking, taking picture after picture, filming reporting on the bizarreness. It didn't last long. From the footage they had gathered afterward – not that anyone was able to figure out why, but it appeared that the birds had started to attack. Within moments of the initial attack all communication in and around Whistler Bay was disrupted.

By the time outside crews came in to investigate, the birds were gone leaving the responders to find a mangled mass grave of body parts. The birds didn't just attack they massacred every living thing within the town, all one thousand and twenty-seven people who had been known to reside there, and another thirty-eight people who had been traveling through or visiting in the area.

Less than twenty-four hours later it happened again, only it was over a hundred miles away in Masson where another fifteen hundred were slaughtered.

By the forth town with no answers as to why, panic spread around the world to epidemic portions.

Many said it was an act of God that the rapture was here.

Governments local, state and federal were stumped unable to attack, or use weapons of mass destruction on their own soil locked they down the borders as they tried to get answers. Others tried to take matters into their own hands as groups across the country went out on shooting sprees, killing birds by the thousands any and all breeds of birds. It didn't matter if they were wild or domestic found in Aviaries, public or private. There was no farm, zoo or sanctuary habitat that wasn't targeted. Others still used aerial crop dusting over open marsh and wooded areas across the country, dropping poisonous pesticides designed to kill numerous species of birds, all in hopes it'd somehow stop them.

It did the opposite.

It was slow, but reports started to come in. Video feeds of the devastation found at larger cities two in California: Bakersfield and Concord, and then Boise, Idaho all had been attacked. Only the remnants of buildings belied the massive annihilation – with tens of thousands of people wiped out of existence within hours.

It was genocide.

No one had a clue of where the birds came from, where they disappeared to or why they were attacking in the first place only that once they attacked they left no living soul, human or animal behind.

Or that was what they were led to believe before everything went public after Concord had been obliterated. Although they found no one alive, they uncovered there were no children among the dead.

The terror and panic of what happened to the children gripped even the coldest heart. Theories that somehow it was all a terrorist's attack, to alien abductions were bantered around on every news channel. None of it mattered as city after city was left in devastation. The mystery of how the birds arrived and left, or where the children had disappeared to only heightened everyone's fear.

Since Whistler Bay there have been over two thousand towns and cities attacked spreading across nine states- most centered in the pacific west regions. Entire populace obliterated out of existence. Whistler Bay and Masson were considered ground zero, the only towns that left any evidence of their attackers, birds.

It'd been the last month that hit the hardest as Calgary, Vancouver, Portland and more recently, Spokane were all wiped out. It didn't help that the rest of the country quarantined them forcing them to survive on their limited supplies. Previously like everyone else on the west coast their supplies for water and food were rationed just as their power and gas had been. However since Spokane they had been unceremoniously completely cut off.

There was nowhere to run or escape to; not a city, state or country would take any of them under their protection human or transgenic – leaving everyone feeling trapped and helpless.

Max tried to disregard her growing fear, but after a year with no answers like everyone else she couldn't shake the dread. She had been trained to fight to be a soldier, but how the hell was she supposed to fight a damn bird- never mind thousands of them. She wasn't the only one plagued with same questions. She saw it daily in everyone around her, the hopelessness growing more prominent every day. However to see it in Alec and Joshua's face that they had the same struggle and held the same fears and concerns just made everything worse.

During the day, public streets were deserted as everyone took cover and hid out of fear. It was only after sunset when people dared to wander out and fill the streets. As the tension built in the last few weeks since Spokane only small numbers would leave their barricade shelter to gather or barter for supplies.

Max did her best to focus on what she did know – how to organize a defense for those who were willing to listen and take action. All she could do was apply everything that Manticore taught her, wait and when the time came, fight. Hoping somehow their defense might make a difference.

The problem was in her heart she no longer believed it and like everyone else she felt hollow inside that what they were facing was a fight they'd ultimately lose.

What made it worse, and plagued Max daily, was any of her efforts would change nothing that it was all beyond her scope. It only hammered in a bleak realization -her worse fear- that she'd sacrifice her life to save the children under her protection, but that it'd all be in vain.

The muffled ring of her cell inside her jacket pocket broke Max's train of thought as it pierced the quiet morning of pre-dawn.

Reaching into her pocket Max pulled it out, and looked at the ID to see that it was Logan.

Swallowing past the lump forming in her throat Max debated whether or not she'd answer it. After relieving Alec earlier, his listless despair was stamped into her memory – she didn't know if she could continue avoiding Logan, but if she did it couldn't be at Alec's expense. She had only started to avoid Logan since anytime they talked these days it always seemed to end in fight. It wasn't that Logan disagreed with her orders or on any of the precautions she suggested, but rather since Spokane he'd become more vocal and wanted them to be together all the time – if the end came…

The thing was she did too, but if she admitted that to Logan then it'd be admitting that this was the end, and that was something she couldn't face or admit to, at least not yet. Even though that was exactly how she felt.

Exhaling, she finally flipped her cell open, and answered, "Hey."

"Max?"

Max grimaced, easily recognizing the familiar almost desperate ache Logan was able to put into her name that silently begged her to not hang up and just talk to him. She didn't want a fight not now. Although she couldn't talk opening herself up, not on the phone, and not the way Logan would want her to. All she wanted was to keep it short and business like. Answering only what she had to even if it was nothing but broken down grunts or one and two word sentences. "Yeah?"

She heard a hitch in Logan's voice when he repeated her name. She had heard that tone before, three months ago. The day Asha, Sketchy and OC were killed, caught in the middle of a skirmish while they were out transporting medical supplies.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Swallowing Max waited anxiously.

When Logan didn't respond she knew it was bad and worried if Alec's odd behavior had anything to do with it. Nervously she choked out his name, "Alec?"

Logan made a strange noise she couldn't wrap her head around. Abruptly she heard a slight shuffle then Alec's voice boomed in her ear. "Max, don't think just get back here now, they're coming…"

Suddenly the cell phone signal crackled and died.

Turning Max looked out onto the horizon. It was moments away from dawn, the silence beckoned to her then she heard something. Leaning forward she strained to hear the sound. It was very faint and still a distance out. It took her a moment to realize what she was hearing – wings, thousands of them flapping and they were heading their way.

Max barely heard the clank of her cell dropping from her hand or the sound as it skidded over the side. Standing, she ran rushing to the edge and scurried down the ladder as quickly as her body allowed. A few minutes later she touched ground and ran at top speed toward her messenger bike.

Not stopping Max peddled as fast as she could. The streets were deserted with the approaching sun. She had gone nearly a quarter mile heading back to Terminal City before she started screaming in warning, "They're coming, they're coming!"

She didn't bother to slow down, or look back to see if anyone heard instead she peddled harder. Her thighs starting to burn at the pace she had set hitting over 75 mph. Still it wasn't fast enough and had her wishing she had hoarded a few gallons of gas to keep her motorbike running instead of using the gas to maintain their defense perimeter around TC.

Max stopped yelling out when she heard the warning bells start to resound throughout the city.

Those that were curious or ready to die started to filter out into the streets, looking up searching for signs that they were here.

Others were ready to fight. Some she noticed wore some sort of protective gear, others in regular street clothes. They all had one thing in common they each held at least one weapon. It varied from person to person whether it was, guns: pistols, rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic rifles, a few machine guns that looked straight from the movies to knives and machetes, sticks, bats. Max had even seen a few blow torches as she whipped by.

Leaning down, Max pushed through the burn of her muscles that traveled to her chest as she peddled harder. Behind her she could pick up the faint sounds of battle, screams intermitted with gun fire that were being drowned out by the increasing sounds of squawking, crowing and the low rhythmic thumping sounds as thousands of birds cut through air flapping their wings.

They were here.

Max's heart accelerated as she cut into a turn almost losing her balance as one wheel lifted off the ground. At the speed she was going, not even a professional trick cyclist would have survived the turn much less would have walked away from. Coming out of the curve Max was able to straighten getting both wheels back on the ground.

The sun was up, warming her back. Max lifted up on her seat, and powered through as she rode down the middle of the street.

She was less than five blocks away from TC's entrance. She was coming in hot. Ironically it wasn't all that different from the day they took refuge at TC and had declared their Independence.

The thumping sounds of wings grew nearer, but it was when the sun on her back abruptly disappeared Max couldn't stop herself from glancing back to see a large mass of black fill the sky behind her. They were gaining on her.

The bike wobbled before Max quickly corrected herself. Her chest tightened in fear as thousands of birds squawked angrily above her.

Swallowing her fear, Max peddled harder even as the shadow of darkness started to descend.

She had wanted to make a difference to save the kids, her friends, but more than that she wanted - needed to see them one more time; all of them, but more importantly Alec, Joshua, and Logan. Logan was right if given a choice she couldn't die without holding him one last time.

Max pumped faster, and cracked a smile when she smelled the smoke. Turning onto the last street she saw a wall of flames that surrounded TC. She just needed to somehow get past the barrier.

It was too late.

Abruptly the birds landed, creating a wall that forcibly made her crash and skid to a stop. They quickly created a circle to surround her. Effectively blocking Max from going any further, including her view to TC. Max reached behind her for the gun hitched in the back of her pants, but as soon as she grabbed it, the birds behind her attacked her hand forcing her to drop the weapon. Baffled that once she dropped the gun they quickly backed away.

In the distance someone screamed her name. However the sound of the birds squawking increased to the point it was almost deafening easily drowning out whoever had called out to her.

Unfazed Max dropped and rolled to grab the wheel of her bike. Then pulled and ripped off first one spoke then another before she stood ready to use them as weapons as faced the birds, preparing to defend herself. If she was going to die, it wasn't going to happen without a fight.

They didn't move. In fact they seemed to back away from her.

Suddenly the sun filtered in around her. Max looked up to see they broke off creating a larger circle above her.

Unexpectedly an eerie silence descended.

Minutes passed then someone yelled out again, this time she could hear them clearly, Logan's panic shrill as he called out desperately. His pain cut down to her soul making it difficult to find her voice. However it was the fierce tone from Alec that came out as an order that demanded that she respond. "Max?"

Max nodded, before she was able to vocally answer and shouted back. "I'm still here."

As soon as she spoke there was a noise that made her look up.

At first she didn't see anything, but the sound was coming closer. It was similar to what she heard before, wings, although it was singular – quieter yet distinctive as its swish batted through air.

Although Max held her ground emotionally her fear escalated. Instinctively Max knew she was going to finally see what had created the annihilation of the cities targeted. At the thought she held her breath and silently acknowledged to herself - possibly find out what had happened to the children.

She didn't have long to wait as something started to block the sun. Blinking Max finally realized what she was seeing a set of massive wings. Then belatedly saw it was two sets as they did a spiral dive down several hundred feet before then corrected their course to hover. Then swirled around again - her mouth dropped open in awe at the evident size of their wings.

The birds, the way they crossed each other and continued to circle above her; Max finally realized they were checking the perimeters in and around the funnel tunnel the birds had created around and above her.

At a lower altitude Max could finally make them out they weren't massive birds, but hybrids - two bird men.

Landing easily on rail thin legs that Max guessed to be made of thick almost leathery skin like cow hide with talons for feet.

Up close, Max could see they didn't just have wings that extended past their height, but their faces were long and gaunt thin, with small eyes that bugged out. In place of a mouth they sported long hooked beaks. And both were nearly bald, with a very fine layer of what Max had guessed were feathers instead of hair.

They were apparently agitated by her appearance and fluttered their wings for a few moments before folding them back to rest against their sides.

They stepped in closer moving just as jittery as a bird, gawking as they openly scrutinized her. Max couldn't shake the feeling that they were trying to decide whether or not she was food.

Neither one talked. The taller one extended his height and inclined his head, his expression was clear - confusion.

Distracted Max hadn't realized how close the second bird man got until she felt a soft brush of feathers sweep her hair aside. She twisted out of his grasp, but wasn't quick enough as he squawked loudly communicating something to the other man.

The other blinked then thrust his face in close, eyeing her as he jutted his head one way then the other. Abruptly he stepped back and turned around.

It took Max a moment to realize what he wanted her to see. Then she saw it, a barcode.

They were Manticore made, anomalies with bird DNA.

The birdman turned around and inclined his head as if he was asking if she understood.

Reluctantly she nodded and met his gaze head on. "Yeah I get it; you've got some kind of bird cocktail going on."

He squawked that she could only assume was an affirmative.

Max didn't bother to hide her fury and bitterly demanded. "Doesn't explain why you're wiping out entire cities, creating genocide."

The bird men glanced at each other exchanging soft coos. One nodded then the other closed his eyes. Max jumped at an unexpected pop and looked down to see a pair of deformed appendages unfold from somewhere behind his coat of feathers.

By the expression of pain on his face as he moved them about – and Max had to guess they were arms and obvious he rarely if ever, made use of the limbs.

Shaking them they started to move about in a fashion Max was able to recognize. A form of hands signals Manticore created to commutate.

iManticore gave us standing orders, to eradicate those cities and the humans living there./i

"Manticore was destroyed."

They glanced at each other then back at Max, and started to signal back. "No. We are given new orders every few days."

The knowledge that Manticore had resurfaced was a devastating blow, but to find out they were the ones behind the heinous attacks, physically made Max sick. Finally she choked out? "The children?" She had to know despite feeling wary of what their answer might be regarding the thousands of children that had disappeared.

iWe are to deliver the children for indoctrination, a new Z series./i

Max shook her head trying to wrap the idea that not only was Manticore back in business, but whoever was in charge had ordered genocide killing millions of people while stealing their children to create some new series. While staring at the two anomalies a thought occurred to her as she looked around to the number of birds that surrounded her. There were thousands of them, but there was no way they'd be physically capable of lifting or moving the millions of children that were missing. "It's not just you two, is it?"

i We are but two from the flock./i

Max hesitated, but couldn't resist looking over her shoulder at TC. Instead she saw a wall of birds blocking her view then breathed a sigh of relief at the pillow of smoke that filtered up behind them.

Turning back she faced the anomalies, "What are your orders against transgentics? Terminal City is ours."

The bird men stepped back and seemed to confer back and forth intermingling coos and squawks – nothing Max was able to make any sense of. Finally the taller birdman nodded his consent and bellowed out several screeches.

All around her there was a large fluttering, wind started to whip strands of her hair across Max's face. Abruptly as one all the birds took flight. Within minutes they were gone nothing more than a large black cloud that hovered before it slowly disbursed and disappeared.

iWe have no orders to kill our cousins – today! We cannot promise that tomorrow./i

Although she was in shock, Max could see they were going to leave.

"Wait, where are they now, Manticore? How can we stop them?"

The one who had ordered the others to leave stepped up into her space forcing her to back away. He fluttered his wings angrily. i Not we, you. We have done all we can./i

He turned to leave and take flight but turned around and quickly signaled. i You have no power, barely any food, any water – Manticore is plentiful. Follow the power./i

With that he turned and joined the other bird man as they soared higher. Their wingspan stretched out to its full extension, batting rapidly and within seconds they were gone hidden behind the clouds.

She barely registered anything before Alec, Logan and Joshua, followed by others crowding her side, all talking at once. Max felt someone move to hold her hand and squeezed. She felt the latex and knew it was Logan. Without a word she returned the gesture, overly relieved they were both there, alive.

Someone's voice excitedly asked, "How'd you do it, how'd you stop them?"

She mumbled back, "I didn't." Joshua heard and asked, "Are we safe?"

"No, the fights just getting started," Max paused speaking louder so they all heard the true danger, "It was Manticore, they're back!"

Fin


End file.
